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iturbide · 3 years

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If you are still up for character asks, how about Sumia. I was sad no one asked about her yet.

And your latest fan art got me interested in also hearing your thoughts on Takumi. If you feel ok answering since I know you haven't played Fates.

I’ve been sad about that too so thank you for rectifying that situation ❤

How do I feel about this character?

My girl. I love Sumia so much, she is one of my absolute favorite characters in Awakening and one I will never pass up an opportunity to write. I love her and how passionate she is about books, how deeply invested she gets in the stories and characters and how she uses them both as an escape from her own life (where she can’t help but dwell on her own shortcomings) and as a source of inspiration and courage. There’s something intensely relatable about wanting an escape like that, feeling outclassed or useless and getting lost in a book as a way to cope -- and yet she’s so capable, even if she doesn’t recognize it herself. She seems so used to people looking down on her or criticizing what she does or making fun of her slip-ups that she’s started to really believe all of it, when the reality is that her mistakes have never been her defining trait: seeing her learn to embrace her own skills and talents is so heartwarming and I find myself constantly rooting for her to succeed in everything.

Who do I ship this character with romantically?

Sully!! Sully and Sumia is one of my favorite ships in all of Awakening, honestly: I love these two ladies who are so gung-ho about horses and bond over that mutual interest and I love the idea of them getting together and learning more about each other, bolstering one another’s confidence (Sully reassuring Sumia that she’s more capable than she thinks and offering to train her if it would make her feel more assured, Sumia insisting that Sully doesn’t need to be girly to be a woman and gushing about how she admires the cavalier) and falling for one another in the process. It’s just really warm and I love it a lot, and given how encouraging they are in their supports, I really think they’d be a fantastic match for each other.

Also, I do love her with Chrom, and I feel like she’d be an encouraging influence for him, doing what she can to give him confidence and help him keep moving forward in spite of the obstacles; she’s such a bright and refreshing character and I think they could end up working really well together, leveraging their individual strengths to make the halidom a better place. And I really enjoy her with Robin, too, considering how they bond over their mutual love of books, and I think Robin would be one of those people who really can see her for who she is, rather than the klutz she sees herself as. It’s especially good when it’s both of them together with her though (yes I love my OT3).

Who is my brOTP for this character?

Robin and Sully, when I’m not shipping them! Their relationships are so strong and they’re founded on such deep rooted friendship that even when I have them in other relationships, those bonds remain. Also, even though she doesn’t have any supports with him in the game (which is criminal), I love the idea of a Sumia and Kellam friendship. Kellam is someone who struggles to be noticed, Sumia’s someone who often seems to wish she could disappear. The idea of them coming together and overcoming their obstacles together is really heartwarming to me.

What’s my Unpopular Opinion™ about this character?

She’s so much more capable than fandom wants to give her credit for. Most people seem to write her off as stupid, passing over her as a brainless klutz in favor of the “genius” Cordelia -- but this is such a disservice to Sumia and her character. She’s a fantastic fighter if given the chance, outrunning and outmaneuvering enemies, and while the game loves to play her off as comic relief, she’s a character with interesting, thoughtful support conversations whose life clearly doesn’t revolve around getting a man’s attention. She’s her own person with hopes and dreams, hobbies and interests, unique skills and charming quirks, and bothering to get to know her really allows her to shine.

And personally, I don’t think she’s actually that clumsy. Sure, she can be a little scatterbrained sometimes, but even the smartest and most capable people can be; when she has too many things to juggle she slips up in comic ways, but when push comes to shove she’s incredibly capable; if she weren’t, she never would have been able to rescue Chrom at the Longfort (sometimes I think people forget that she’s the one who swept in and got him clear of the javelins).

(And for a bonus unpopular opinion: I hate Cordelia and Sumia as a ship. Cordelia is so mean to Sumia in their supports, banning Sumia from telling her flower fortunes because she personally doesn’t see value in them -- she doesn’t even bother trying to understand what Sumia’s doing or why, she just decides that her own way is the only right way, which is not how friends should act; putting them in a relationship is out of the question for me.)

What’s one thing I wish would have happened with this character in canon?

Why does she have so few supports? It’s not fair that she can so easily end up alone because the game limits her options so much; aside from Chrom, she has the fewest marriage options, but unlike him she doesn’t have an auto-marriage after a certain point. It’s not fair that the game treated her that way, and I wish canon had given her more supports, platonic and romantic both. Again, seeing her with Kellam would have been incredible, and I really wish they’d bothered to give her a support chain with Maribelle, too, considering how Maribelle treats her early on; it would have been amazing to see them work things out.

and you know I was wondering if people forgot my favorite Fates character

How do I feel about this character?

I have never played Fates. I know about these games purely through fandom osmosis. And yet I will say, in no uncertain terms, that Takumi is my absolute favorite Fates character. Fallen Takumi is still one of my very few units at +10 merges in Heroes because I love him that much. And it’s kind of hilarious how it came to this because it’s kind of Heroes’ fault that I’m in this situation.

I remember when the game first launched how much of a pain he was in the early Arena before Skill Inheritance was a thing, and how the only reliable counter I had for him was Hector because I’d never gotten Takumi myself. And then one day he randomly showed up in a summon, and I was so excited I ran off to train him immediately...and realized as I did that this guy has some massive self-esteem problems. It’s what got me interested in him in the first place, enough to do some digging in the wikis, and I kind of fell in love with his character: he’s smart, he’s capable, but he has a massive inferiority complex since he’s grown up in the shadow of his older brother -- something Corrin’s return manages to make worse, since everyone kind of loses their minds over it and pushes him down and away despite the fact that he’s the only one being sensible and questioning whether they can really trust Corrin after they were brought up in Nohr. While he has an attitude problem that needs to be addressed (though it’s nowhere near as bad as Felix’s), he can get better and gain confidence in himself and his abilities...but in Conquest, his fate is an absolutely tragic one, where his self-doubt and anger allow Anankos a foothold, something to prey upon, and ultimately lead to his loss of control, loss of self, and loss of life. His story just really hits me in the heart, kind of like Lyon, and I just want to see him grow and overcome his doubts.

Who do I ship this character with romantically?

Okay so this is probably where my not having played the game is going to bite me but I have no idea. There are so many characters in Fates and I don’t even know half of them. I know Leo is a popular partner for him but I’ve never really seen the chemistry there so I can’t say that’s for me; I could always cheat and say I ship him with happiness because honestly that is true, I really do want him to be happy first and foremost, but I don’t have an actual character answer whoops.

Who is my brOTP for this character?

Azura. I love the idea of the two of them coming together as friends, both haunted and hounded by nightmares and terrible thoughts they can’t seem to shake, and finding ways to support one another through it. I get the feeling that Takumi might have treated Azura with some distrust early on, but despite the fact that she came from Nohr, I honestly think they could have ended up having a close bond in Hoshido growing up as they struggle with their own problems, and it would have been amazing to see them come together to overcome them. Also, I love the idea of him and Sakura being close as siblings, with Takumi protecting Sakura and helping draw attention off her when she’s feeling especially shy while she tries to encourage him and give him a place where he can relax with and get away from all his issues for a little while, someone he can enjoy himself with and not have to think about his problems.

What’s my Unpopular Opinion™ about this character?

I actually don’t know what kind of popular opinions there are about Takumi so I have no idea what kind of unpopular opinion I could have. Honestly I don’t see anywhere near enough to Takumi in general since he seems to be eclipsed by not only his older brother but the Nohrian royals in fandom-wide popularity; is it an unpopular opinion to want more people to give him a chance, rather than writing him off as just an angry nay-sayer? Because honestly, he is the only one with any sense, since he’s the only one who thinks to distrust Corrin when they return.

What’s one thing I wish would have happened with this character in canon?

Okay so this is really really niche but I really wish they’d made Takumi Corrin’s half-brother rather than just a step-brother. It honestly would have made so much sense? Takumi’s the only other character who has the same kind of pale hair that Corrin canonically does, even if it’s not the exact same shade, so if that came from Mikoto it would fit perfectly with not only Corrin’s and Takumi’s hair color, but Sakura’s hair being that super pale pink compared to Hinoka’s vibrant red, which is what you’d probably expect from Ikona and Sumeragi after Ryoma inherited his father’s very dark hair. I get the feeling they didn’t do it because they wanted to make all the royals available as romance options, which is both cheap and gross (and after what they did with Azura in Revelations it’s worse), but I think it would have been a really interesting plot element if they’d taken the time.

Give Me a Character

#answered #alerawolf #meme #fire emblem: awakening #fire emblem: fates #sumia #takumi #two of my favorite characters in one ask #you are my hero for requesting these two #i love takumi so much now i want to draw him again

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a-simple-imagine · 5 years

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Stay With Me

Synopsis: Y/N tries to convince Rose to give up on Abra (Set during the events of the movie Doctor Sleep)

Pairing: Rose the Hat x True Knot member fem!reader

Words: 3k

A/N - I’m told I shouldn’t be in love with Rose the Hat because she like tortures kids or whatever but I see that as like a minor flaw. My new calling in life is writing Rose the Hat stories for a niche market of one

Warnings - Swearing, sexual themes, blood, mentions of violence, murder and pain. Doctor Sleep spoilers I guess??

It had been years and yet you could recall the day she turned you like it was yesterday. From Crow Daddy abducting you to waking up in a bed you didn't recognise. A place you didn't recognise. You remember the fear that coursed through your veins as she approached you. Her bracelets jangling with each step. Her style was very bohemian; it suited her well. A hat sat on top of her mangled brown locks. A cup steamed between her palms. She didn't look like a creepy psychopath, in fact, she was probably the most beautiful woman you had ever seen but looks could be deceiving and you could sense her intentions weren't pure. Ever since you were little you had been able to sense danger. It always started as a weird pull deep in your stomach. The closer the connection to the person the more intense it would become and this woman was like a bright red warning sign. However, every word that came out of her mouth was calculated but gentle. She spoke with such care that it was weird to experience. This woman sat down next to you, her eyes drifting over you. She smelt... earthy? Not in a bad way, it was intoxicating. She made you an offer that you couldn't refuse unless you wanted to be their dinner. The ritual that followed caused pain so intense you felt like your head was about to explode. Every cell in your body burning you alive. Trying to destroy you. She told you it wouldn't hurt; no fear but this was horrifying. Fingertips pressed into your skin as she tried to keep you focused as you writhed around. Nails scraping the ground like it would somehow help. Tears streamed down your face as your grip on reality faded away; desperate for a breath of fresh air. To this very day, you've never felt anything quite like that and you never wanted to again. It was perhaps a fate worse than death.

Eat Well. Live long.

Things had certainly changed since then. It had taken you a lot of soul searching to adjust to being part of the True Knot but over time they had become your family. You still didn't quite have the stomach for snatching children or the atrocities that followed but you had come to understand that the world wasn't so black and white. Most of life sat in the grey area in between. With lives as long as yours and connections vast, consequences no longer existed. The shine was a rarity that was purest in children. The steam they produce is vital for your survival, it's nothing more than hunting for food. Rubes kill animals for food what’s the difference? Or at least that's how you rationalised the situation. Maybe you had just become numb to it all. You personally never actually hurt anyone. Rose had always had a sort of soft spot for you and you liked to use it to your advantage. She had never forced you to do anything you didn't want to which was primarily all the sadistic, gritty tasks. However, you would do the grocery shopping whenever somebody asked or you enjoyed cooking so big meals were never an issue. Why you still ate normal food was beyond you but they got a kick out of it. Helping with the day to day tasks made you feel like you were still helping out. It was unsurprisingly hard to watch somebody you were so utterly enthralled with do such horrid things. Often you'd find yourself diverting your eyes only to hear the cries of terror. Pain purifies steam so does fear. You don't understand why but it was part of the process. You could practically feel the pleasure she derived from it in every shotgun kiss shared between the two of you. The embraces could be considered magical. They made your heart melt and tasted like the greatest thing in the world; always left you craving more steam and craving her. She was always so intimate with you and over time you let yourself fall so stupidly in love with a complete monster. Rose the Hat was many things. She could be described as evil, manipulative, even intimidatingly disgusting. She had done awful things that your heart seemed to so easily ignore just because she was also rather charming. She genuinely cared for the people in her life; she was almost motherly towards them. And she was certainly very easy on the eyes. You adored her in ways you had never experienced before.

"You doin' okay, my sweet?" Rose's voice drifts into your ears bringing a small smile to your lips. You glance back at her from your spot on the edge of the watchtower, swaying your legs in a repetitive motion. She was in her usual spot, legs crossed for meditation. She looked so pretty and peaceful.

"Mhmm. Just thinking about life." You admit softly, turning back to nature. You enjoyed being up here. Rose, on the other hand, didn't like it so much when you disturbed her and often you'd respect her authority. But sometimes you came up here when she wasn't too busy or just to relax alone. It helped clear your head when you watched the others. That smile faded away as you feel a pit in your stomach grow. You had been sitting on an uneasy feeling for a while now but you had decided against telling her. The sole reason for staying behind was to comfort her the way she always did for you. Before you could warn her, Rose just started groaning uncomfortably loud. Scrambling up, you rush to her side. Whatever was happening, she seemed to be in excruciating pain. Shit, she was probably gonna be mad that you didn't warn her. With such a faint feeling, you never expected anything major. Maybe the lack of steam was affecting you more than you thought. When she finally calmed down, she remained still breathing heavily. You placed your hand on her back but she shoved you away, climbing down the ladder. You follow quickly behind her; keeping a reasonable distance between the two of you.

"Crow has her." She growls; a bitter unforgiving anger laced in her otherwise beautiful voice. "The others... didn't make it."

Your brow furrows but you don't dare ask what happened. It had become pretty clear anyway so there wasn’t a need for details. You cautiously walk up behind her, wrapping her in your arms and placing a chaste kiss against her back. In response, she took one of your hands and brought it to her lips. "I..." Trailing off before so much as a full word is uttered, you hesitate to continue. You can't imagine she'll like what you have to say even with the best of intentions. "Rosie... I'm glad you stayed behind."

Her body tenses and you instantly regret having said anything at all. It was completely selfish and yet still so still true. The others were like family but your connection with them was nothing compared to your feelings for Rose. Although You had struck up quite a bond with snakebite Andi. Forcing her way out of your grip, she disappears into her Earth Camper and you decide not to follow her just yet. Instead, plopping down on a fold-out chair, you stare up at the pink and purple hues that coloured the sky. If you just left her alone, maybe she would calm down a little. You can't even begin to imagine how she must be feeling right now having endured all that. You still felt sick which wasn't a good sign. If you were at full strength maybe you could have predicted this but Rose was right in saying you haven't been eating well. Not for a long time. You finally work up the courage to go inside, peeking your head in first before barging in. Your lover was just sitting there staring out the window into the woods. She sighs loudly. "What's gonna happen to him?"

You're surprised she even talks to you as you come to a stop. "I'm not sure," you shrug. "but it's obviously not good." You approach her cautiously, looking out into the woods. There was once a time where being out here would have creeped you out but now you were the monsters that lurked in the dark. "You wanna take a nap with me? Crow won't be back for hours and you're just gonna drive yourself crazy sitting here." You take her silence as a no and so you leave her be. Climbing into her bed so you could keep an eye on her. You liked how small her bed was - if you could call it that - it always made you feel closer to her. It doesn't take long for you to drift off, you hadn't exactly been bursting with energy lately.

A blood-curdling shriek dragged you kicking and screaming back to reality. Jerking up in bed to see Rose on the floor. Her eyes shone brightly as she cried out in absolute agony. "What's wrong?" You wonder, shoving off the covers. Tears fell silently down her cheeks, her jaw tense in pain. You rub your eyes a little, you hadn't been out that long had you? Using your thumb, you slowly brush away any signs of her sadness. It seemed a lot worse this time like she was much more distraught. "It's crow isn't it?"

You meet her once shimmering eyes. Every ounce of softness burned by the fire of her anger. You've never seen her this mad before; it's... scary.

"I want that little bitchchild." She spits through gritted teeth. You back away from her, giving her the space she needed to not burn you in the crossfire but apparently, that's not what she wanted this time. She reached out for you and you take another step back, hitting the wall.

"Are you scared of me, my dear?" You almost admit the truth but you figure she already knows and that's why she asked. You liked her caring side but when she got angry it was better to steer clear. Shaking your head, Rose walks towards you and pulls you against her chest. Her embrace welcoming and tight. "I'm going after her- we can still track her." Rose huffs, loosening her grip just a little so she could look at you. There was a look of crazy determination on her face that made your heart ache.

"Please don't," you whisper softly. Burying your face in the fabric of her dress. Inhaling her like you never want to let her go.

"Y/N-"

"Something really bad is gonna happen." You interrupt quickly. "I- I can't lose you too."

She offers you a small smile. "You don't have to come with me but I have to do this."

"No, you don't," Your voice surprisingly firm as you scowl at her. There was a little smirk on her lips like she was proud. "We can find someone else, another kid- I don't care."

"You will when you're fucking starving." Rose snaps harshly. You let your head fall so you wouldn't have to look at her anymore. Rose was in charge and you had to respect her decision even if it was idiotic. The brunette places her hand softly against your cheek and you instinctively lean into her touch. She lets her forehead fall against yours. "You trust me, right?" Eventually, you nod a little. "Then trust me to do this. If not for ourselves than for the others that that little bitch murdered."

You could beg and plead until you went blue in the face but it wouldn't make a difference. Rose has becoming consumed by her obsession; motivated by her anger. This was no longer just about getting Abra, it was about revenge. She'd never been good at letting things go. She had lost her family so quickly. Felt them die one after the other like a game of dominos. There was no way to fix that. Even if you could find other rubes, the chances of them being as powerful as Abra; someone who got inside Rose's head like walking into a store would be almost impossible. And so you had to trust her even if it made your insides burn. "When are you going?"

"I got a little time." She forces you to look at her. Pressing your lips together softly at first but with increasing intensity. You could feel her pain in the way her teeth bore down into your bottom lip as she guided you towards the bed. Her knee speeding your legs apart. The metallic taste of blood dripping into your mouth when she pulls back. Her eyes were dark with anger or lust you couldn't be sure. "Will I feel it when you die? Since you feel it when we do?"

A soft sigh slipped into the air. You could tell she didn't want to talk about this and not just because it was killing the mood. "How bad is it?"

"Nauseating, a little better being so close to you but it'll get worse as you leave."

A gentle kiss was placed against your forehead. "You've always been too soft for your own good. Maybe I should have been tougher with you- made you carry your weight a little more."

"You like me because I’m soft," you argue, an amused smile spreading over your lips. "Makes me easier to manipulate or so you think it does. I just... go along with whatever because I wanted you to like me. I relish in the way you treat me."

"Oh my love, I know that. I can read your mind after all." Rose chuckled softly.

"I don't like when you're in my head." Her lips connect with yours once more.

I know.

Palm against her chest, you push her away again. She may be running off to her own doom but you couldn't ignore how you felt about her or the sick feeling beginning to fester. Something really bad was gonna happen and you can’t help but wonder if this would be the end for her too. Would they then come after you? "I don't know if I can last by myself."

"You definitely can't." She answers instantly and you're a little offended she's so quick to dismiss you but she was right. " but you won't be alone so it's fine, Y/N." She let her thumb dance softly over your cheek.

"When have I ever been wrong," you ask, a little too aggressively. She stops her movements for a second before continuing. "Tell me that what I'm feeling right now isn't a sign that you're not gonna make it. Promise me you'll come back and I won't bring it up again."

Her beautiful eyes drift to your lips but you're sure it's just to avoid looking you in the eye as she lies to you.

"Your wrong this time." She answers clearly. "I'll come back so please just... relax for me, my love."

You keep your word despite every part of you screaming to stop her. There was nothing you could do anyway. Her powers were far stronger and she had the stomach to do anything to get what she wanted. Her hand slips down to your neck where she sinks her teeth into your shoulder. An unexpected whine escapes into the air causing her to smile against you. Your arms wrap around her, pulling her flush against you. Pressing into her in order to be as close as possible. To feel every part of her just in case it was the last time. You rolled your hips against her knee which was still so conveniently placed between your legs. Rose sucked on your collar bone; marking you as her own. Dull waves of pleasure spilled through every part of your body until she stops you. Holding you down. Hand wrapping firmly around your neck. "Such a needy, girl." She hums, kissing you slowly. You try to move your hips again but her grip around your neck tightens so you stop. A whine slipping past your pouted lips. "Slow down, my sweet. I wanna taste you."

Rocked from your slumber, no words are shared between the two of you. Not so much as a plead for her to stay or an admission of love as you watch her gear up to dive further into the black hole of her obsession. She opens up a few special canisters she’d been saving. Inhaling the steam, on the last one she told you to join her. Giving you one last shotgun kiss. You noticed her hand was completely healed which meant she must have her strength back. You were feeling better too; stronger so it should have been no surprise when you felt like we're gonna throw up right here and now. You silently wish for a change of heart knowing she's probably spying on your thoughts but she was already out the door. It was still dark out. You're reluctant to go after her in case you touch her and witness her fate. So you stay by the door, feeling the cold air in nothing more than one of her shirts. The jeep roars to life and without so much as a glance back she drives away. You remain there until she's out of sight and you're left to play with the ghosts of a once lively campsite. For a second you're at peace and then her voice filters into your head.

Trust me. I'll get her. The tears you had managed to subdue no longer cared for composure and you begin to silent sob for a woman whose fate was yet to be sealed.

#rebecca ferguson #Rose the hat #doctor sleep #the shining #stephen king #Rose the hat x reader #the true knot #Stay with me

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abzanascendancy · 6 years

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Magic Story Walkthrough

The Principles of Unnatural Selection

Due to some feedback, I thought I might try out writing a more complete overview of Magic Story. In Today’s Magic Story is a stream-of-conscoiusness thing, my immediate reaction to reading the story, and while it’s entertaining, it doesn’t work with all stories. And sometimes, what you want is to look in-depth at all the little details found here -- a walkthrough instead of a speedrun. Now before this was done by vorthosjay, but I haven’t seen any lately. So without further ado, let’s go for 100% on the story!

The monk at the beginning is most likely a deepsage, one who spends time pondering the Holdfast and Upwelling. What are these? They’re the two philosophies that define the Simic:

The Upwelling is the U of GU. It advocates for cyclical change, with the new replacing the old, emphasizing knowledge as a means of transformation, and for creatures to discover their full potential

The Holdfast is the G of GU. It advocates for not straying too far from nature, that natural evolution is still adaptive & strong, that it can thrive, and that creatures will find their niche in the ecosystem.

But back to deepsages, they meditate on these two ideas and create highly complex riddles, which then inspire and are interpreted by Simic scientists to reflect on the Simic’s role in the world. They were actually merfolk concepts, which were adapted by the Simic after sinkholes opened up across Ravnica revealing the race they all thought was extinct. These sinkholes then became the Zonots. Continuing on, we know that a group of students (or young merfolk) is called a clutch. Furthermore, parents entrust them to a teacher to help raise and guide them, ideally to a protectorate position (though that could just be this particular teacher) embodying empathy, courage, and observation. There are 80 positions, though in the story it’s revealed the Guardian Project sent frog mutants as reinforcements. Which is a mixed bag, depending on the cards you look at, but that’s besides the point.

Merfolk are incredibly perspective too -- zooplankton can range from single-celled to still-incredibly-tiny, so when they look for observant protectorates, they mean business. What the teacher intended her students to look for are the fasting bands, which I think are on/around their fins. This concept isn’t new: you can see the growth/lack of growth from tree rings, though in this case a vivisection isn’t needed as we learn that merfolk monks can fast at least seven weeks without showing obvious signs of fatigue. Furthermore when in peril, merfolk are trained to cross their arms to help conceal where one ends and another begins: an advanced principle of those large schools of fish, like the one in Finding Nemo.

We then meet Ptero Zallik, a merfolk who embraces change quite literally, sporting some nice adaptations. From here we get the name of our protagonist, Medge, who we actually do have art for, albeit from Wesley Burt’s Twitter:

Why it wasn’t included in the story, I don’t know. Then again it didn’t have any pauses to it, no dividing lines or sections. It was flowing uninterrupted, like a river current. Very fitting. But back to Ptero, he has 27 in his clutch, and all of them heavily modified. If it isn’t obvious, we find out later that Medge and Ptero embody the Holdfast and Upwelling, respectively, and they’ll also decide to work together to embody the best of both worlds. And they actually bridge the gap together: Medge accepting her new adaptations, and Ptero conceding that there’s still much to be learned and used from tradition. Which speaking of tradition, merfolk have sea gods, but that’s all we learn from here.

It’s Ptero’s news that forces Medge to adapt her teaching style. To get her students into the protectorate, she has them observe a krasis in action. Krasis are the weird animal combinations we know and love, non-intelligent mutants (in the Guildmaster’s Guide to Ravnica, for instance, all Krasis have an Int score of 2). The descriptor for it is actually very telling. In Odds & Ends: Ravnica Allegiance, Maro talked about Doug Beyer’s interpretation of mutant. In this case, it’s still recognizeable as a fish (barely), but definitely modified. If it were two species slapped together, like a frog snake, then that’s what the type would be. Its target is a benthid, which is a word that apparently refers to the benthic zone -- the lowest level of a body of water. Which I guess makes sense, as they back up against a shipwreck. What type it is we don’t know, though as it’s described as amphibious and having a vocal sac, I imagine a sort of frog or salamander. But from Medge’s words, we get a picture that these krasis that escape Simic labs are the worst kind of invasive species.

(As a quick aside I missed this earlier, and feel the need to remedy my negligence: Chessa looks relieved, but I don't let her off the hook and assign her to lead the watch group while we are inside. Get it? ‘Cause they’re fish people? Anyways, back to the analysis)

Now we get to the juicy bit: the ship. It’s here that we get a lot of information. It’s been here for 80~ years. We know that the medallion is Orzhov, but neither the students nor their teacher recognize it. This is probably more attributed to Medge’s holdfast principals, not visiting the surface and learning about the other guilds. Case in point, only Kaszira recognizes it as a ghost, and she wants to learn more of the surface. Also, ghosts can pass through their own bodies, unless the frock conceals a hole in his chest. When he was alive, the zonots hadn’t opened up yet.

Now let’s take an aside to calculate when the zonots opened up! To the Timeline!

GRN takes place about 4560 AR, using the Dominarian year measurement. I’m using this and not the Ravnican measurement because that’s written as 10,076 ZC . It’s a smaller number to work with.

AR stands for Argivian Reckoning, setting year 0 when Urza and Mishra were born. Just think about that -- a war so infamous, that the brothers’ birth is what starts the Reckoning! Anything before has a minus in front of it, like -200 AR.

ZC stands for Zal Concordant, or after the signing of the Guildpact. AC, or Al Concordant, is for before the signing of the guildpact.

Merfolk first appeared in a Ravnican block with Return to Ravnica, or 4559 AR. The block takes place in the span of a year, so we don’t have to worry about set minutia.

Since the Ship’s around 80 years old in modern time, assuming that the sinking riverbed didn’t disturb the layer of dead zooplankton, it would be around 79 years old in RTR.

Hence the ship sunk around 4480 AR.

The first Ravnican block takes place during 4480-4493.

Using the end date of that, as og Ravnica Block didn’t have merfolk, we know the sinkholes happened between 4493-4559. Or in Ravnican calendars, 10,009 ZC-10,075 ZC

Thus, merfolk could’ve appeared anywhere from 67-1 year ago from present day!

Now with that breath of fresh air, let’s continue.

Despite being a ghost, he can’t control/possess ocean life, though as we’ll later see this could be due to his contract. Now in the rush of In Today’s Magic Story, I didn’t realize that the ghost might be lying about the Divine Contract. He was lying about what was in the trunk, that much is certain, but think about what he’s observed: merfolk thinking the Orzhov symbol was a bloated starfish, only one of their number recognizing a ghost, and that same individual excited about visiting the surface. They’d have no idea if he were lying about sacred tomes that may or may not exist, but he includes a few shreds of truth (Karlov, Orzhova) so that if they did know a bit about the surface, it would sound plausible.

Now we get to see some Simic ingenuity. Not only do they scavange a vocal sac to become a balloon (I’m imagining an airship underwater), but they use bass tar to cover the holes! What bass tar is, I don’t know, but it’s from a fish! Just using all organic parts to fix something -- I’m surprised that we see glass later on instead of clear resin! And the merfolk can also store spells within conch shells (which kinda reminds me of dials in One Piece).

But as our ghost approaches the Zonot, he starts getting nervous. While this could be fear of Simic officials discovering what he stole, but remember he’s with the Orzhov. His contract might stipulate bringing the treasure straight to the Orzhov, with no detours to sell a piece for his own profit. The magic also comes from the cracks in the chest’s lid: not necessarily from within the chest, but perhaps the chest itself. An escape clause in the contract to help him in his mission. That’s just speculation, but it’s possible. While it could also be the artifacts reacting to being close to the Zonot, a Simic Place of Power, I don’t think it’s the case. The orange glow isn’t really in-line with the Simic, and Zonots weren’t a thing when Momir Vig was around.

And now, let’s take an aside to mourn the fact that there are neither Orzhov pirates nor Simic pirates in Ravnica Allegiance... hopefully we’ll get them in a supplemental set. Or heck, I’ll settle for a vampire or merfolk pirate when we return to Ixalan. They both share a color with the Brazen Coalition, so...

Back to the Simic artifacts, we usually only get to see the creatures of the Simic, without seeing their tools. Earlier, Medge was going to use a bronzed fish spine with pearls to detect/highlight/measure fasting bands. Sadly, the only piece described from the chest is Momir Vig’s keyrune, which at least tells us they were in use during the original Ravnica block.

And now, the cytoplast. Whoo boy, this is gonna be an aside. So cytoplasts are masses of magical, organic tissue. These blue-green (in color and alignment) globules convey genetic information. If one had the information of a troll and was transferred to a human, the cytoplast would incorporate the regenerative abilities of the troll into the human. This explains the Graft mechanic, and the art of Simic cards in Dissension. Momir Vig, however, created a new version that bonds with hosts via contact: once you touch it, you’re bonded. Thus, he “improved” people without consent. Why is improve in quotations?

Project Kraj.

Vig’s intended use of Kraj was to wipe Ravnica clean and start over, and he was going to control it. He was killed though, and without guidance Kraj called every cytoplast to itself. Which means they were ripped from their still living hosts, who were left bleeding, disfigured, and in great agony. Kraj actually grew large enough to make the old Guildhall, Novijen, it’s head. Rakdos, after defeating a nephilim, decided to take him on. Kraj actually absorbed Rakdos, which put the demon into a coma and overexerted the ooze, killing it.

(There’s also more to the story: like dragon cerebral fluid from three eggs which were going to be used by an Izzet scientist to overthrow Niv Mizzet; the spirit of Wojek soldier, Agrus Kos, residing in the body of the Golgari guildmaster Savra -- who helped Vig achieve Project Kraj -- being the one who killed Vig, but also the Golgari Parun was also using/possessing Savra somehow; and Kraj being dismembered by Quietmen, guards/envoys/messengers -- y’know what, butlers -- that were also an army of last resort. Original Ravnica was crazy, y’all.)

We the names of the other merfolk students, and the cytoplast mutation. Which could’ve been very disgusting, but was handled in a very reasonable and mature way. I haven’t read the original Ravnica novels, but it seemed to give Medge a mutation she needed, or at the moment wished she had: additional eyes. She wasn’t keeping an eye on Miko, and the cytoplast granted her a mutation to better keep an eye on her students. Also can we agree it was Miko who technically destroyed the cytoplast by clipping his fin on the pedestal, not Medge? Anyways, we learn that merfolk fins can break, and not just tear, which implies some sort of hard ridge of cartilidge or bone. Zonots also have brigs, which as guild centers it makes sense for them to have some sort of holding facility, but the nomenclature is nice. Also, with Zegana’s threat of banishment, it’s suggested that the merfolk society, while incorporated into the Simic, is still its own separate entity. And also students can take repeat courses because Miko.

And that about wraps things up! This first one’s kind of a mish-mash between going through the story and taking notes on certain areas. For future editions, I was thinking of breaking down the lore we get into sections. This one, for example, would have sections for the Merfolk, the Simic, and the Orzhov. The reason I kept it along the same flow of the story was because it’s 1) easier to go through the information from the story, and 2) easier for everyone to follow along and go back to.

I’ll do a more structured pass for the next story, but what do you all think? Did you like it? Did you want it more organized? Less following the story and more compartmentalized? More quote examples? More sources? Less/More asides? Let me know!

#Magic Story Walkthrough #The Principles of Unnatural Selection #Simic #Merfolk #Orzhov #Ravnica #Timeline #Cytoplast

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scpie · 4 years

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11 Ways to Overcome Fear During a Crisis

July 30, 2020 12 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

When President Franklin Delano Roosevelt said, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself,” he wasn’t just making a catchy statement to gin up support for his policies. He was speaking to a nation struggling with what was just the beginning of what we now know as the Great Depression. The statement is not completely true since there are plenty of other things to fear, including sharks, taxes and global pandemics. But this much is an absolute fact — especially for entrepreneurs — fear can lead to unwise decisions, which can bring about the very negative consequences we wish to avoid. There is indeed much to fear about fear itself. Here are 11 ways to overcome fear during the current crisis or the next one you experience.

1. Name the fear

When faced with a crisis and paralyzing fear, the most difficult obstacle in your path may be admitting you are afraid. It’s only once we recognize the reality of the situation that we can deal with it.

One way to better identify your fear is to imagine the worst that can happen. In her New York Times bestseller Insight, author Tasha Eurich shares a recommendation made by decision psychologist Gary Klein, who advocates a “pre-mortem” for major decisions. The idea is to imagine yourself one year in the future and that everything has gone wrong. Your plans are a total disaster. Then write what that would look like. You might find out the worst that can happen isn’t all that bad, or that you can identify steps to avoid the pitfalls that would lead to disaster.

In Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl quoted Spinoza’s Ethics, which said: “Emotion, which is suffering, ceases to be suffering as soon as we form a clear and precise picture of it.” Or to put it another way, Mr. Rogers said, “Anything that’s human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable. When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting and less scary. The people we trust with that important talk can help us know that we are not alone.”

Dr. Benjamin Hardy, an organizational psychologist and the author of Personality Isn’t Permanent, shared these quotes with me and then told me, “The key to overcoming fear is giving it form.” Hardy says this can be done through journaling and open conversation. “Daily journaling about how you’re feeling, in addition to sharing your feelings with key people in your life, make your emotions manageable.”

Hardy says, “Does this take courage? Absolutely. But it’s worth it. It’s worth not being bogged down by fear and needless suffering. When you are open and honest as a person, life becomes far more manageable. You stop needlessly suffering internally about unfulfilled dreams or former hurts. You move forward. And that’s the freaking key! Moving forward! Moving forward as powerfully and authentically as possible.”

Related: 8 Powerful Phrases Leaders Need to Say in a Time of Crisis

2. Use fear to fuel your courage

The Japanese poet Kenji Miyazawa said, “We must embrace pain and consume it for fuel on our journey.” During a crisis, you may hear others say, “Nobody can get funded right now,” or “It’s time to survive, forget about growth.” Instead, entrepreneurs like Bryan Brandenburg, founder and chief scientist of visualization company Zenerchi, says, “That’s when I go into warrior mode. Don’t follow the conventional wisdom. It comes from people who are afraid to act or are acting from a place of fear. Instead, look for the opportunities caused by others’ fear.” Or, as Warren Buffet says about how to invest successfully, “Be fearful when others are greedy and be greedy only when others are fearful.”

3. Remember the past

When faced with a worrying future, it often pays to think about how we overcame challenges in the past. When thinking of what could be lost, Melinda Dransfield, VP of sales performance elevation for Prudential Retirement, asks, “Have I lost this or something like it before? How did I deal with it before?” and then reminds herself, “I have been through hard things before.”

I started my business in 1999, just before the dot-com bubble burst. Less than two years later, the economy went into another downturn after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Then there was the 2008 real estate crisis. Now, whenever the business faces difficult circumstances, I tell myself, “You’ve been here before,” and even if I’m not sure exactly how, I know we’ll get through it.

4. Think past the crisis

Imagining a terrible future can help us avoid that future, but what if things work out great? In an April 2020 article in Harvard Business Review, Mark W. Johnson and Josh Suskewicz share perspectives from their book Lead from the Future. They say that though we must take care of the here and now, we can’t lose sight of the bigger picture. Whatever the future holds, they say, “You need to begin preparing for it now. And to do that right, you need to have a longer-term vision of what you aspire to become in five or even 10 years — a north star that will focus and help shape your thinking about the short- and mid-term.”

I’m reminded of how I learned to mow straight lines across a large lawn by focusing on a point in the distance, rather than the ground in front of me. Even if I ran into bumps along the way, as long as I kept my eye on that point, when I finished I could look back and see a straight path. Take care of the short term, but keep an eye on what’s to come or you’ll find it difficult to avoid getting pulled in multiple directions.

Related: You Can’t Do Everything, and If You Try to You’ll Do Even Less

5. Invest in “alive time”

Your business may not be in danger of going under, but perhaps you find yourself with a lot of spare time. Ryan Holiday, author of multiple bestselling books like The Obstacle Is the Way and Ego Is the Enemy, recalls advice he got about such times from another bestselling author, Robert Green (The 48 Laws of Power). “He told me there are two types of time: alive time and dead time,” Holiday wrote in a recent blog post. “One is when you sit around, when you wait until things happen to you. The other is when you are in control, when you make every second count, when you are learning and improving and growing.”

Could you use the extra time your business has to retool your systems, train your team, or build new products and services?

6. Build your fear muscle

Think of fear like gravity: With the proper equipment, it can help you become stronger. Noah Kagan, “Chief Sumo” at AppSumo.com, likes “the coffee challenge,” in which you ask for 10 percent off your next purchase. Awkward? Difficult? Scary? That’s the point. Do it repeatedly and it will get easier, not because the task itself is any easier, but because you’ve become stronger.

Jia Jiang took this to the ultimate level when he decided to intentionally get rejected 100 times in 100 days. He was inspired after his first attempt at entrepreneurship ended in rejection, leaving Jia emotionally crushed. However, after he recognized his fear of rejection was harming him more than the actual rejection, he decided to embrace rejection in order to become more comfortable with it. His experiences not only helped him become almost immune to rejection but also led to a TED talk on rejection that has been viewed over 6 million times and the bestselling book Rejection Proof.

7. Reevaluate what makes you unique

In a crisis, it’s easy to lose focus on your business and why it exists and instead get trapped into concerns about next week’s payroll. Of course, short-term concerns are important, but if we focus on them too much we may miss opportunities. “Get very clear on your point of view,” advises Steve Watt, VP of marketing at Grapevine6. “Figure out why (and for whom) your approach offers a way forward in difficult times.” You may have a new customer segment that suddenly cares about your company’s offering in a way they didn’t before.

That’s what happened to Zoom, the video conferencing service, in the early months of 2020. As the Covid-19 virus sent tens of millions of students and workers home, Zoom found itself perfectly positioned to help them stay connected. Through outreach (and a healthy dose of word of mouth) Zoom grew from 10 million to daily users in December 2019 to over 300 million daily users by April 2020.

In a crisis, you can combat fear as you find your new niche and let others know how you can solve their problems.

Related: How Entrepreneurs Can Find Clarity in Uncertain Times

8. Identify what you can — and can’t — control

“Fear isn’t bad. It’s the crippling uncertainty that comes with it that eats at us,” says Zachary Zimmerman, senior account manager at marketing agency agency Number Six. To combat that uncertainty, Zimmerman sorts out which aspects of a challenge he has control over and which he doesn’t. This reduces the uncertainty and allows him to focus on what he can change without wasting time on what he can’t.

9. See fear positively

Fear isn’t all bad — sometimes fear keeps us safe from real harm. Fear can also give us motivation. “Fear can be a very positive emotion when it sparks in us the behavior required to overcome, and when we are confident in where we are going,” says Andy Cindrich, senior consultant at FranklinCovey.

10. Find the opportunity

Marcus Sheridan’s experience shows why it’s so important to see every moment, even a crisis, as an opportunity. In 2008, the real estate crisis hit, and Sheridan was in the swimming pool business. Despite occupying a market in which many people were worried about losing their homes (not buying new pools), Sheridan saw that pool builders weren’t using the internet to answer buyers’ questions. He started answering those questions online, and his company’s website became the Wikipedia of swimming pool information. Now his company is the fastest growing fiberglass swimming pool manufacturer in the world.

“When Covid-19 hit and I realized that it was going to get ugly, once again my thoughts immediately shifted,” Sheridan says. “I told myself, ‘Marcus, commit now to find the opportunity in this moment.’”

In just a few months, Sheridan’s company introduced a virtual sales methodology to its team of dealers all over the country and experienced tremendous success. Despite the pandemic-related economic downturn, in April 2020 Sheridan’s company broke every sales record it has ever had.

Related: How Three Different Tech Companies Are Tackling the Common Fight Against Coronavirus

11. Don’t give up

As a senior sales executive, Hunter Sebresos was present for a meeting in which investors were preparing to shut down the company he was working for. However, he knew their customers had a need, so rather than throwing up his hands and trying to find a new job, he came up with a new business model on the spot, pitched it to the investors right then and there, and won funding to create Bacon, a mobile app that allows companies to post details about their temporary staffing jobs straight from their phones and quickly fill positions, rather than spending days or weeks with a staffing or temp agency.

Your company may be on the brink, but is there a way to pivot that gives you a second chance?

There is always hope

No matter how bad things get, there’s always hope for a better future. Even at the height of the Great Depression, the unemployment rate was 24.9 percent — alarming, but it means that 75.1 percent were still employed. Many of the greatest companies of all time were founded during times of great economic challenges. A short list includes Procter & Gamble, IBM, General Electric, General Motors, FedEx, Hyatt, IHOP, Disney, HP, Microsoft, Burger King, CNN and Apple (twice, first during the downturn in 1975, and then when it was resurrected from near-death during the dot-com crash of 2001).

There may be a global crisis right now, and there are certainly others brewing, but even in a crisis — especially during a crisis — there are people out there who need what you have, and there may be no better time to get busy giving it to them.

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blaeiz · 7 years

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Rum optional

Every once in a while I find something that just screams inspiration and find myself wishing I had more talent and motivation to create the things I see. Sometimes it’s little snapshots from a larger world.

I have this image replacing the dramatic skylight entrance in Strange Magic with Marianne swinging on a rope. It would probably be well-suited to a Pirate sort of AU (who can’t imagine Bog as a surly, salty Pirate Captain, really) and I think the idea of Marianne swinging around on a ship and sword-fighting and fully intent on kicking ass would be a wonderful visual.

Plus, there’s so many ways to play that kind of scene. There’s the funny option where she swoops in and successfully nails Bog, having her triumphant Badass moment, which gets almost immediately spoiled because it’s a ship and she’s alone and surrounded by pirates, did she really expect to win that easily? (Only fools rush in, little girl). Or there’s the equally comedic bit where Bog is a Badass who sidesteps casually and she misses him entirely and gets captured (Nice try, Princess).

But honestly, I prefer the option where Bog moves toward her rather than away, because confrontation is totally their thing, and I like to embrace that. Like, there’s that momentary surprise because this woman snuck onto his ship (How did she get on my ship?) and is coming right at him--swinging on one of his ropes on his ship!--with a sword in her hand. But Bog is quick on his feet and so he finds a way to counter, something appropriately awesome, like throwing a blade that cuts the rope or otherwise forces her to let go before she can hit him, and then it’s on like Donkey Kong. And naturally the crew just watches on with equal parts confusion and awe but keep their distance because NO he does not need help and what the Captain says goes even if he does seem like he’s met his match. Mostly I prefer this option because as much as I love Badass Marianne swooping in and Kicking Ass, I also like to acknowledge that Bog is equally Badass and Capable of Ass-Kicking. Because he is, and he deserves to be more than some Blundering/Incompetent Man getting schooled by the Superior Woman in the name of comedic relief.

Unfortunately, pirates have never been my niche. I don’t know enough about ships or sailing or much of anything pirate-related to be able to do that kind of AU justice (and I’m a perfectionist that would want to do it justice). My best attempt would probably make the actual sailing parts brief. Maybe give the Dread Pirate Bog a nice island lair where his men live when they’re not gallivanting on the seas and being a thorn in the side of The Establishment like the rebellious hooligans they are. He’d need a place to keep his darling mother, after all, who lives like a queen getting anything she desires because he’s secretly-but-not-really-a-secret-since-everyone-knows a mama’s boy, and because it will keep her out of his hair hopefully. He loves her, really, he just loves her most when there is an ocean between him and her nagging.

Exploring Cap’n Bog’s kickass island and learning about the heart of gold hiding under his prickly exterior honestly sounds a lot more fun to write than trying to keep the story moving on a big boat in the ocean, when I think about it. But is it really a pirate AU if they don’t spend any time actually pirating? Plus, I’ve heard people complain about romanticizing pirates, since they were legitimately bad guys according to the history books, and I don’t imagine the prickly little love-bug is capable of doing anything truly evil, as much as he might say--or sing--otherwise. Bouts of drunkenness and debauchery? Sure. Vandalism? Definitely. Intercepting England’s ships and fucking their shit up for the sake of doing it? He is Scottish, after all. But the super bad stuff? Doubt it. He seems like the type to toss the losers in his brig and then toss them overboard while passing an island so they have a fighting chance to live. Maybe send them off stark naked, add a little insult to injury so they have some extra explaining to do if and when someone rescues them. Shame and humiliation are much more cruel than killing a man, anyway.

Anyway, this got long. And it all started with the mental image of Marianne swinging into battle like Tarzan. That’s the weirdness here in my brain. And now it’s here. I may not have much of a chance of actually getting a quality story written, let alone ever having the courage to post it, but at least I can ramble on Tumblr. That’s something, at least.

#strange magic #bog king #butterfly bog #marianne #a pirate's life for me

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riichardwilson · 4 years

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11 Ways to Overcome Fear During a Crisis

July 30, 2020 12 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

1. Name the fear

Related: 8 Powerful Phrases Leaders Need to Say in a Time of Crisis

2. Use fear to fuel your courage

3. Remember the past

4. Think past the crisis

Related: You Can’t Do Everything, and If You Try to You’ll Do Even Less

5. Invest in “alive time”

Could you use the extra time your business has to retool your systems, train your team, or build new products and services?

6. Build your fear muscle

7. Reevaluate what makes you unique

In a crisis, you can combat fear as you find your new niche and let others know how you can solve their problems.

Related: How Entrepreneurs Can Find Clarity in Uncertain Times

8. Identify what you can — and can’t — control

9. See fear positively

10. Find the opportunity

Related: How Three Different Tech Companies Are Tackling the Common Fight Against Coronavirus

11. Don’t give up

Your company may be on the brink, but is there a way to pivot that gives you a second chance?

There is always hope

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sovindep · 5 years

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The Technique so that you can Efficient Struggle Quality The particular IBR Approach

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theestaticmarketing · 7 years

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5 Productivity Hacks to Bring Content Creation From Failing to Flying High

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/OnlineMarketingSEOBlog/~3/_-M0ewKtg8Q/ <img width=”600″ height=”360″ src=”http://ift.tt/2EHBeBb; class=”attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image” alt=”Hot Air Balloons” srcset=”http://ift.tt/2GfDhJP 600w, http://ift.tt/2o7ODbp 300w” sizes=”(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px” /> <img class=”aligncenter wp-image-23815 size-full” src=”http://ift.tt/2EHBeBb; alt=”Hot Air Balloons” width=”600″ height=”360″ /> Let’s just get this out of the way: I don’t know anything about hacking. I’ve never hacked anything in my life, unless you’re describing my golf swing, or you count using a <a href=”http://ift.tt/2o2msv9; target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>Game Genie</a> to cheat at Sega Genesis back in the early ‘90s. In general, I find terms like “life hacks” and “growth hacking” to be… well, hackneyed. But you know what? Blog titles that include “hacks” — or other strong and compelling descriptors such as “surprising” or “critical” — have a <a href=”http://ift.tt/2o7Kc06; target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>greater tendency to gain viral traction</a>. Sometimes a simple data point like that can be the springboard you need to uncover inspiration. Which brings us to the purpose of today’s post. Here at TopRank Marketing, <a href=”http://ift.tt/2o0UArx style=”font-weight: 400;”>we have an insanely talented Content Team</a>. Legitimately some of the best writers and strategic thinkers I’ve ever had the pleasure of working alongside. But even these awesome pros are not immune to the occasional creative rut or swoon in productivity. It comes with the territory. Recently the team came together to discuss some of our personal methods for overcoming content creation slumps and getting back on track when we’re dragging. I figured I would share some of the most salient pointers to come out of that meeting here, so other marketers can benefit and maybe adopt a few of them during their own periods of stagnation. Hacks, insider tips, pearls of eternal wisdom — whatever attention-grabbing name you’d like to apply, I just hope you find these practical tips helpful in enhancing your productivity and elevating your content marketing success. (And feel free to comment with your own if you have tricks that work for you.) <h2>#1 – Embrace the 5-Second Rule</h2> <img class=”size-medium wp-image-23816 alignleft” src=”http://www.toprankblog.com/wp-content/uploads/5-Second-Rule-213×300.png” alt=”The 5-Second Rule Book Cover” width=”213″ height=”300″ />Last year, Mel Robbins published a book called “<a href=”http://ift.tt/2o8qzoW; target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>The 5 Second Rule: Transform your Life, Work, and Confidence with Everyday Courage</a>.” The premise behind this guide to conquering self-doubt and procrastination is rooted in psychology. Basically, the crux is that because our brains are wired to avoid risk, we are innately predisposed to abandon many ideas and plans almost as quickly as they arrive. Robbins challenges us to overcome this inclination by forcing ourselves to take some sort of action to move an idea forward within five seconds of the thought crossing our consciousness. It can be small and it doesn’t always have to lead anywhere. But it’s all about getting past your initial misgivings and, in some way, turning an idea from concept into reality. So, next time the notion of a blog angle passes through your head, take the step to jot down a note, or even a loose outline. When you’re struck with the spark for a content campaign, but not quite sure about it, discuss it with a colleague or at least record a quick voice memo on your phone. Basically, stop saying “later” and start saying “now.” By following this approach, you’ll find yourself with a whole lot more to work with, and it might just be that a passing fancy you’d have otherwise pushed out of mind turns into something great. [bctt tweet=”Stop saying “later” and start saying “now” when an idea crosses your mind. – @NickNelsonMN #ContentCreation #ContentMarketing” username=”toprank”] <h2>#2 – Start with Your Conclusion</h2> A classic writing tip from fledgling novelists is to draft the ending of a story first, and then work your way up to it. This same advice can be aptly applied to any content writer who is struggling to get a piece off the ground. When I’m sitting down to write something new, I frequently find that getting started is the toughest part. You need a strong, compelling introduction, and in many cases can’t proceed until you’ve got one worked out. Another issue can be that once you’ve surpassed that initial hurdle, you start wandering and get sidetracked from the main points you’re trying to make. Writing your conclusion before anything else can remedy both of these issues. Since it’s always smart to have the beginning and ending of a post tie together, you might find the pathway to your intro by taking this approach. And as you progress through the drafting process, you’ll always know exactly what the end destination is. <h2>#3 – Keep a List of Recent, Authoritative Statistics</h2> Sometimes, statistics can provide the backing we need to substantiate a point. But finding the right one isn’t always a quick or easy task. Getting bogged down in research is often one of the primary culprits in waning productivity. If you have a team of writers on hand — particularly ones who cover similar topics or niches — it can be helpful to create a central doc with up-to-date stats from trusted sources, such as respected media publications or verified research organizations. Trim off older items as they lose relevance, and continually add in new ones. You’ll want to be careful to avoid the trap where everyone on your staff starts using the same numbers and sources over and over again, but in general I find this practice to be a strong productivity-booster and time-saver. <h2>#4 – Dig Into Data</h2> Stats are not only able to contextualize and reinforce a case we’re trying to make, but they can also illuminate a case worth making in the first place, or provide direction on how to proceed. For example, the insight I mentioned earlier about “hacks” being a clickable blog post title made me wonder: “What ‘hacks’ do I actually know? What kinds of hidden pointers could I surface that might actually be useful to our audience of smart marketers?” Revelations can be found in insights about particular types of content that resonate within your industry (articles and studies about trends are good sources), or a conclusion drawn from your own Google Analytics (“Wow, look at how well posts about Topic X have performed!”). Data points are stories waiting to be told, and they are almost infinitely abundant in every industry and vertical. [bctt tweet=”Data points are stories waiting to be told. Dig into them to find inspiration & overcome #ContentCreation slumps. – @NickNelsonMN” username=”toprank”] <h2>#5 – Reckon with Writer’s Block</h2> It can be tough to get unstuck when you hit a wall in content creation. There’ve been countless instances where I’ve spent more time than I’d like to admit wordsmithing one particular sentence, or figuring the best way to transition from one idea to the next. In these cases, it never hurts to move on to something else for a while and then circle back later. You can leave yourself a placeholder, as simple as [XXXXX] or more referential like [something about hacking and Game Genie]. This enables you to accomplish other stuff and return with a fresh mind. Painful as it may be, you should even consider simply getting something down on the page in these moments, even if you don’t think it’s good. A 2012 article in Psychology Today on the subject of <a href=”http://ift.tt/2o5GS6P; target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>overcoming writer’s block</a> argued that this can be necessary to achieve that frequently elusive “flow.” “Here’s the truth about writing (or any other form of self-expression): If you can’t accept the bad, you can’t get to the good,” wrote Barry Michels. “It’s as if the flow is pure, clean water trapped behind dirty, disgusting sewage. If you can’t welcome the sewage and let it flow through you, you’ll never be able to get to the pure stuff.” Such a lovely metaphor, isn’t it? <h3>Put Your Content in Flight</h3> Ready to see how high your content can fly? Try incorporating these tips into your routine and see if they can help give your productivity a lift: <ul> <li style=”font-weight: 400;”>Challenge yourself to take action on every content creation idea as soon as it strikes you.</li> <li style=”font-weight: 400;”>Try breaking your routine by writing the conclusion to your next post before anything else, and see if it helps make your process more efficient.</li> <li style=”font-weight: 400;”>Create a centralized doc with your most-used sources of stats and insights, then share it with your team and encourage them to add.</li> <li style=”font-weight: 400;”>Analyze data trends from your own past content as well as the industry at large to identify hot topics for your audience.</li> <li style=”font-weight: 400;”>Alter your writing approach to overcome writer’s block.</li> </ul> Otherwise, if you’re interested in learning more about how we do <a href=”http://ift.tt/2o7OFQz; target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>content marketing at TopRank Marketing</a>, check out our services page or reach out and give us a shout. We’re all about driving growth, without any hacking required. The post <a rel=”nofollow” href=”http://ift.tt/2EEzJUr Productivity Hacks to Bring Content Creation From Failing to Flying High</a> appeared first on <a rel=”nofollow” href=”http://ift.tt/2wbPbmy Marketing Blog – TopRank®</a>.

The post 5 Productivity Hacks to Bring Content Creation From Failing to Flying High appeared first on Magic Money Success Your Trick To Freedom.

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befoundonlinemarketing · 7 years

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5 Productivity Hacks to Bring Content Creation From Failing to Flying High

Let’s just get this out of the way: I don’t know anything about hacking. I’ve never hacked anything in my life, unless you’re describing my golf swing, or you count using a Game Genie to cheat at Sega Genesis back in the early ‘90s. In general, I find terms like “life hacks” and “growth hacking” to be… well, hackneyed. But you know what? Blog titles that include “hacks” — or other strong and compelling descriptors such as “surprising” or “critical” — have a greater tendency to gain viral traction. Sometimes a simple data point like that can be the springboard you need to uncover inspiration. Which brings us to the purpose of today’s post. Here at TopRank Marketing, we have an insanely talented Content Team. Legitimately some of the best writers and strategic thinkers I’ve ever had the pleasure of working alongside. But even these awesome pros are not immune to the occasional creative rut or swoon in productivity. It comes with the territory. Recently the team came together to discuss some of our personal methods for overcoming content creation slumps and getting back on track when we’re dragging. I figured I would share some of the most salient pointers to come out of that meeting here, so other marketers can benefit and maybe adopt a few of them during their own periods of stagnation. Hacks, insider tips, pearls of eternal wisdom — whatever attention-grabbing name you’d like to apply, I just hope you find these practical tips helpful in enhancing your productivity and elevating your content marketing success. (And feel free to comment with your own if you have tricks that work for you.)

#1 - Embrace the 5-Second Rule

Last year, Mel Robbins published a book called “The 5 Second Rule: Transform your Life, Work, and Confidence with Everyday Courage.” The premise behind this guide to conquering self-doubt and procrastination is rooted in psychology. Basically, the crux is that because our brains are wired to avoid risk, we are innately predisposed to abandon many ideas and plans almost as quickly as they arrive. Robbins challenges us to overcome this inclination by forcing ourselves to take some sort of action to move an idea forward within five seconds of the thought crossing our consciousness. It can be small and it doesn’t always have to lead anywhere. But it’s all about getting past your initial misgivings and, in some way, turning an idea from concept into reality. So, next time the notion of a blog angle passes through your head, take the step to jot down a note, or even a loose outline. When you’re struck with the spark for a content campaign, but not quite sure about it, discuss it with a colleague or at least record a quick voice memo on your phone. Basically, stop saying “later” and start saying “now.” By following this approach, you’ll find yourself with a whole lot more to work with, and it might just be that a passing fancy you’d have otherwise pushed out of mind turns into something great. [bctt tweet="Stop saying “later” and start saying “now” when an idea crosses your mind. - @NickNelsonMN #ContentCreation #ContentMarketing" username="toprank"]

#2 - Start with Your Conclusion

A classic writing tip from fledgling novelists is to draft the ending of a story first, and then work your way up to it. This same advice can be aptly applied to any content writer who is struggling to get a piece off the ground. When I’m sitting down to write something new, I frequently find that getting started is the toughest part. You need a strong, compelling introduction, and in many cases can’t proceed until you’ve got one worked out. Another issue can be that once you’ve surpassed that initial hurdle, you start wandering and get sidetracked from the main points you’re trying to make. Writing your conclusion before anything else can remedy both of these issues. Since it’s always smart to have the beginning and ending of a post tie together, you might find the pathway to your intro by taking this approach. And as you progress through the drafting process, you’ll always know exactly what the end destination is.

#3 - Keep a List of Recent, Authoritative Statistics

Sometimes, statistics can provide the backing we need to substantiate a point. But finding the right one isn’t always a quick or easy task. Getting bogged down in research is often one of the primary culprits in waning productivity. If you have a team of writers on hand — particularly ones who cover similar topics or niches — it can be helpful to create a central doc with up-to-date stats from trusted sources, such as respected media publications or verified research organizations. Trim off older items as they lose relevance, and continually add in new ones. You’ll want to be careful to avoid the trap where everyone on your staff starts using the same numbers and sources over and over again, but in general I find this practice to be a strong productivity-booster and time-saver.

#4 - Dig Into Data

Stats are not only able to contextualize and reinforce a case we’re trying to make, but they can also illuminate a case worth making in the first place, or provide direction on how to proceed. For example, the insight I mentioned earlier about “hacks” being a clickable blog post title made me wonder: “What ‘hacks’ do I actually know? What kinds of hidden pointers could I surface that might actually be useful to our audience of smart marketers?” Revelations can be found in insights about particular types of content that resonate within your industry (articles and studies about trends are good sources), or a conclusion drawn from your own Google Analytics (“Wow, look at how well posts about Topic X have performed!”). Data points are stories waiting to be told, and they are almost infinitely abundant in every industry and vertical. [bctt tweet="Data points are stories waiting to be told. Dig into them to find inspiration & overcome #ContentCreation slumps. - @NickNelsonMN" username="toprank"]

#5 - Reckon with Writer’s Block

It can be tough to get unstuck when you hit a wall in content creation. There’ve been countless instances where I’ve spent more time than I’d like to admit wordsmithing one particular sentence, or figuring the best way to transition from one idea to the next. In these cases, it never hurts to move on to something else for a while and then circle back later. You can leave yourself a placeholder, as simple as [XXXXX] or more referential like [something about hacking and Game Genie]. This enables you to accomplish other stuff and return with a fresh mind. Painful as it may be, you should even consider simply getting something down on the page in these moments, even if you don’t think it’s good. A 2012 article in Psychology Today on the subject of overcoming writer’s block argued that this can be necessary to achieve that frequently elusive “flow.” “Here’s the truth about writing (or any other form of self-expression): If you can’t accept the bad, you can’t get to the good,” wrote Barry Michels. “It’s as if the flow is pure, clean water trapped behind dirty, disgusting sewage. If you can’t welcome the sewage and let it flow through you, you’ll never be able to get to the pure stuff.” Such a lovely metaphor, isn’t it?

Put Your Content in Flight

Ready to see how high your content can fly? Try incorporating these tips into your routine and see if they can help give your productivity a lift:

Challenge yourself to take action on every content creation idea as soon as it strikes you.

Try breaking your routine by writing the conclusion to your next post before anything else, and see if it helps make your process more efficient.

Create a centralized doc with your most-used sources of stats and insights, then share it with your team and encourage them to add.

Analyze data trends from your own past content as well as the industry at large to identify hot topics for your audience.

Alter your writing approach to overcome writer’s block.

Otherwise, if you’re interested in learning more about how we do content marketing at TopRank Marketing, check out our services page or reach out and give us a shout. We’re all about driving growth, without any hacking required.

The post 5 Productivity Hacks to Bring Content Creation From Failing to Flying High appeared first on Online Marketing Blog - TopRank®.

5 Productivity Hacks to Bring Content Creation From Failing to Flying High posted first on http://www.toprankblog.com/

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christopheruearle · 7 years

Text

5 Productivity Hacks to Bring Content Creation From Failing to Flying High

#1 - Embrace the 5-Second Rule

#2 - Start with Your Conclusion

#3 - Keep a List of Recent, Authoritative Statistics

#4 - Dig Into Data

#5 - Reckon with Writer’s Block

Put Your Content in Flight

Ready to see how high your content can fly? Try incorporating these tips into your routine and see if they can help give your productivity a lift:

Challenge yourself to take action on every content creation idea as soon as it strikes you.

Try breaking your routine by writing the conclusion to your next post before anything else, and see if it helps make your process more efficient.

Create a centralized doc with your most-used sources of stats and insights, then share it with your team and encourage them to add.

Analyze data trends from your own past content as well as the industry at large to identify hot topics for your audience.

Alter your writing approach to overcome writer’s block.

The post 5 Productivity Hacks to Bring Content Creation From Failing to Flying High appeared first on Online Marketing Blog - TopRank®.

0 notes

lineatura · 7 years

Text

Issue #10: Peter Schmidt & Maria Mora

en | de

Books People Places is a Berlin book deli, serving the finest food for thought in the fields of architecture, urbanism and related critical studies. The small bookstore on a history-charged side street in Schöneberg offers a wonderful selection of rare publications from independent publishers difficult to find elsewhere. But, as its name suggests, Books People Places isn’t just about books. Founders Peter Schmidt and Maria Mora want to attract a growing community of people through events that inspire and engage dialogue about our urban lives.

Every time I enter Books People Places to chat with Peter or Maria, I’m fascinated by their determination to resist the mainstream – to live their dream and to draw their own lines. We sat down over a cup of coffee to talk about their motivation and the challenges of opening a niche bookstore.

Peter Koval: How did you come up with the idea of opening a bookstore? Aren’t independent bookstores today threatened with extinction?

Maria Mora: We wanted to set an example since there has been a lot of talk about the decline of bookstores today. Yet the book is alive! And with the book, there is also the independent bookstore.

Peter Schmidt: The bookstore has a right to exist today more than ever before. The book as a medium has been legitimately challenged by technological progress. But no one can clearly say if that’s justified or not. As a book lover, I always liked buying books, but I had my own vision of how a bookstore should be run. We thought a lot about it until we realized that we just have to try it for ourselves. When we first rented this space, we were immediately confronted by the real problems of the book trade. You never see these problems when you stay on the level of an idea. At the beginning, we were spurred on by not only idealism but also desire for independence. Today, we can present books in a way we like.

MM: Yes. For us, a bookstore is a place for communication. Selecting a book is a very personal process. We want to engage people in a conversation. What themes are they interested in? Where do they come from? What else have they read? What books would they recommend? That’s the most exciting part about it! We are not interested in questions like, where can I buy a certain book – we really don’t need bookstores for that.

PS: I agree. In the last ten years, I worked in several bookstores. They were all focused on architecture. I realised that in Europe and in the rest of the world, there is a great opportunity to meet in bookstores the same people, who you would meet also in other cities. Books and bookstores connect people.

PK: So your name stands not only for books, people and places but also for their connection.

PS: Exactly. Places, people and books… Actually we didn’t want to fix the order of the sequence. When we visited Maria’s hometown of Bogotá to present and sell books, we saw that places played a very important role. So, in our concept, places are a natural part of the connection between books and people.

MM: I had the impression that in Bogotá, European publishers and books are almost not present. People are very well-informed because of the Internet, but it’s quite rare to find real books and if you are lucky enough to find them, they are prohibitively expensive. So when we travelled together to Bogotá, we took a suitcase full of books with us. We never thought we would meet so many great people. After we had this experience, we started to believe even more firmly that it makes sense to open a bookstore in Berlin.

PK: You went to Colombia with books. What did you bring back?

MM: We came back with a commitment and mission. On the way there, we considered everything. We counted money, and carefully weighed up risks… But when we returned, we felt a responsibility to not disappoint our expectations and to maintain and widen the connections we made.

PS: We had a space where we could sell books in Bogotá. The people had to come to us. In the beginning, we were moving through the city. We wanted to approach people and test the feedback. But we quickly realised that, it’s the other way round. A fixed space is something that moves people; it becomes a place of encounter. It is also a question of time. For example, how can you move from A to B in a city like Bogotá. Actually, if you offer a certain rarity and curiosity and when people can sense passion behind what you are doing, then they start moving toward you. Back in Berlin it was clear to us that we need a place.

PK: Why Schöneberg?

MM: Well, we live here. That was probably our first thought. Peter already worked in bookstores in Kreuzberg, Mitte or Tiergarten. There are really nice bookstores with fiction or literature for children here in Schöneberg, but there wasn’t a niche for books related to architecture and urbanism. We walked a lot in Tiergarten and Schöneberg until we coincidentally found this store.

PS: That we live here shouldn’t be automatically associated with laziness. Of course, shortcuts are attractive. But if you live in a neighborhood, then you already know some qualities of the district. We live in Schöneberg and we have our reasons for doing so. Now, as book traders we work not only in the neighborhood but we also have to work with the neighborhood. We are discovering dimensions of the place we weren’t aware of before when we existed here only as residents.

PK: Can you discover a niche or do you have to invent it?

PS: I don’t believe you can invent a niche. But I love to discover them! It’s a really interesting question – when can we speak about discovery? When you awaken passion through something? When you discover in dialogue with others that they have never heard about something before and the discovery ignites their passion and inspiration?

MM: Maybe we can describe it in more abstract terms, such as a space in between, a place where something overlaps with something else in order to create something new…

PS: For me, it’s very exciting. In Berlin as well as other creative cities, we have a flood of people who are trying to attract an audience for the craziest ideas. There are also platforms to present, curate or even to discover people who support your project. That’s the diversity the cities can offer to us.

MM: When I try to imagine a niche spatially, it is a place where I feel secure and in good hands. A place which, to some extent, embraces me. A little corner in a room or in a city. But for each of us this means something different.

PK: How do you play at a niche? How do you navigate people or yourself through the book labyrinths?

PS: As the saying goes, you have to stay curious! The curiosity should never come off badly. I am always surprised when I discover something. But I can’t say in advance what exactly is so exciting for me. I have certain daily rituals that I practice and suddenly something appears…

MM: Peter always says that gut instinct is very important. And I believe if you follow it, then the intuition can take shape and point you toward the right way.

PK: Since each bookstore has limited space, you can’t display all your discoveries. How do you deal with that? Do you have to say NO to more and more books?

MM: I guess, this will change with time. At the moment, we often say no, because we can’t afford to buy everything. But I believe that in the future, we will say no more for thematic than pragmatic reasons.

PS: For me, quality is not quantity. We opened this bookstore also because we wanted to have the courage to promote what fits our mission. I know that there are books on the market which are currently quite successful. As a good businessman, I should stock them because they generate demand. But we want to be able to afford not to buy them. There are enough places in Berlin where you can buy them. Our profile is architecture, urbanism, society. We stock a lot of books mostly from publishers that are not (yet) well-known. Some of the publishers have their offices here in Berlin, which is logistically easier for us and also cheaper. We prefer personal and content-driven communication with the publishers. In particular, smaller publishers deserve much more respect for the great job they are doing. We also take time to follow up with the books we stock. That’s also why we do not keep too much in store. Our strategy sounds like luxury. But I think that this attention to detail is desperately needed today. To me, it feels like a reasonable way to go for an independent bookstore.

PK: Would you even go so far as to say that you shape or curate a collection?

MM: Before we opened the bookstore, we asked ourselves about our act. The word curator goes probably too far. However, Peter is somebody who can bring things together. At first glance this things have nothing to do with each other. Yet when you look at them as a whole, then it makes perfect sense.

PS: I have a passion for series. It is fascinating to observe how people begin a journal or magazine and to watch it evolve over years. Then you can speak of a collection. Collecting can be very satisfying. However, I couldn’t collect garden gnomes or snowballs. I love paper. Paper is very comforting.

PK: When I look at this room, it is full of lines and series. Is there a line we should not follow?

PS: We shouldn’t follow the line of panic. Panic is something very nasty, it’s so reflexive: “Help, we have no customers, let’s close the store!” We shouldn’t follow such a mental line of anxiety. It is short but, since it hides all the other lines, it’s quite dangerous.

MM: We instead follow loops (laughing). Loops on a roller coaster.

PK: Can you name some book-related projects which impressed you recently?

MM: Publication Studio. It is something like a publishing lab, a network of small publishers focused on the production of “public” rather than the production of books. The variety of themes is just impressive.

PS: I’m quite taken with two things at the moment. One is the circulation of book reviews and the other – also related to that – is the need for an intermediary between diverse actors such as publishers, book traders, universities, bureaus, museums and others. For the book reviews, there is a new publication called Real Review. It interrogates how we can publish reviews in a broader context. It comes with texts that often go far beyond the book reviewed. It’s really worth reading. The need for mediation is not only the central aim of what we are doing here in our bookstore but is also part of our collaboration with a group of booksellers, publishers and artists called “Drucken Heften Laden”. It emerged from an exhibition at nGbK in Kreuzberg and has developed independently since then. It’s great to be part of this initiative.

Credits Interview and photo: Peter Koval English editor: Elle Peril

Did you know that you can support Lineatura Magazine by buying the very original Lineatura notebooks? Get the same notebooks that all our interviewees use for their creative ideas and read more inspiring interviews in the future!

INTERVIEW MIT PETER SCHMIDT & MARIA MORA

Wer sich für Architektur, Urbanismus und den daran geknüpften kritischen Diskurs interessiert, der sollte sich unbedingt den Namen Books People Places merken. Der kleine aber feine Buchladen in der geschichtsträchtigen Schöneberger Seitenstraße bietet eine exquisite Auswahl von Publikationen vorwiegend kleinerer unabhängiger Verlage, die man anderswo vergeblich suchen würde. Wie schon der Name verrät, geht es bei Books People Places nicht nur um Bücher. Mit unterschiedlichen Veranstaltungen und einem offenen Raumkonzept ("Buchladen/Studio") wollen die Inhaber Peter Schmidt und Maria Mora eine wachsende Öffentlichkeit ansprechen, um ein Dialog über die verschiedensten kulturellen Aspekte des urbanen Lebens anzuregen.

Immer, wenn ich Books People Places betrete, um ein Buch zu finden, welches ich nicht gesucht habe, verliere ich mich unweigerlich im Gespräch mit Peter oder Maria. Ihre Entschlossenheit, den Gemeinplätzen auszuweichen, den vorgegebenen Linien nicht zu folgen und stattdessen ihre eigenen zu zeichnen, ist beeindruckend.

Peter Koval: Wie kommt man heute auf die Idee, einen Buchladen zu eröffnen? Ist nicht der unabhängige Buchhandel vom Aussterben bedroht?

Maria Mora: Wir wollten ein Zeichen Setzen. Gerade weil heute so viel vom Untergang des Buchhandels gesprochen wird. Das Buch lebt! Und mit ihm auch der unabhängige Buchhandel.

Peter Schmidt: Der Buchhandel hat seine Daseinsberechtigung. Heute vielleicht sogar mehr als jemals zuvor. Das Buch ist ein Medium, welches durch technische Entwicklungen berechtigt und unberechtigt in Frage gestellt wird. Das kann man aber nicht so einfach mit Ja oder Nein beantworten. Als Buchliebhaber kaufte ich schon immer gern Bücher. Ich hatte aber eine eigene Vorstellung davon, wie eine Buchhandlung aussehen könnte. Wir haben viel darüber nachgedacht, bis wir irgendwann begriffen haben, dass wir es einfach probieren müssen. Als erstes mieteten einen Raum und waren gleich mit realen Problemen des Buchhandels konfrontiert, die man dann, wenn man nur die Idee hat, gar nicht sieht. Ich glaube, am Anfang stand nicht nur ein Idealismus, sondern auch der Wunsch nach Unabhängigkeit. Heute können wir Bücher so zeigen, wie wir es uns vorstellen.

MM: Ja. Für uns ist eine Buchhandlung ein Ort der Kommunikation. Ein Buch auszusuchen ist eine sehr individuelle Sache. Genau darüber wollen wir mit den Leuten ins Gespräch kommen: Welche Themen interessieren sie? Woher kommen die Menschen? Was haben sie sonst gelesen? Welche Bücher suchen sie oder würden sie empfehlen? Das ist das Spannende daran! Und nicht die Frage, wo man ein bestimmtes Buch kaufen kann. Dazu braucht man wirklich keine Buchhandlung.

PS: Das kann ich nur bestätigen. In den letzten zehn Jahren habe ich in mehreren Buchhandlungen gearbeitet, die sich thematisch auf Architektur fokussieren. Dabei habe ich festgestellt, dass man überall in Europa, aber auch in der Welt gerade in den Buchhandlungen eine Chance hat, Leute zu treffen, die man auch in den anderen Städten getroffen hätte. Bücher und Buchhandlungen verbinden Menschen.

PK: Books People Places steht also nicht nur für Bücher, Menschen und Orte, sondern programmatisch für ihre Verbindung.

PS: Genau. Orte, Menschen und Bücher… Eigentlich wollten wir uns auf eine Reihenfolge nicht festlegen. Als wir Marias Heimatstadt Bogotá besucht haben und versucht haben, dort Bücher zu vermitteln und zu verkaufen, haben wir gemerkt, dass Orte dabei eine ganz wichtige Rolle spielen. So kam es, dass zu den Books und People auch Places hinzugekommen sind.

MM: Ich hatte den Eindruck, dass es in Bogotá wenig Kontakt mit den europäischen Verlagen und Büchern gibt. Die Leute sind zwar durch Internet ausgezeichnet informiert, die Bücher selbst sind aber nur selten zu finden und wenn ja, dann sind sie unerschwinglich. Als wir dann zusammen nach Bogotá reisten, nahmen wir einen Koffer voller Bücher mit. Wir haben nie gedacht, dass wir durch die Bücher so viele tolle Menschen kennenlernen würden. Danach haben wir angefangen, fester daran zu glauben, dass es Sinn macht, in Berlin eine Buchhandlung zu eröffnen.

PK: Ihr seid mit Büchern nach Kolumbien gegangen. Womit kamt ihr zurück?

MM: Ich glaube, wir sind mit einer Aufgabe zurückgekommen. Bei der Hinfahrt haben wir viel darüber nachgedacht, Geld gezählt, Risiko abgewogen… Aber als wir zurück kamen, haben wir eine Verantwortung gespürt, die geweckten Erwartungen nicht zu enttäuschen und die geknüpften Verbindungen auszuweiten.

PS: In Bogotá hatten wir einen Raum. Die Menschen mussten zu uns kommen. Am Anfang sind wir durch die Stadt mäandert, wir wollten auf die Menschen zugehen, testen, ob es überhaupt ein Feedback gibt. Wir haben aber schnell gemerkt, dass ein fester Ort Menschen in Bewegung setzt. Weil der Raum immer auch einen Ort der Begegnung schafft. Es wird dann schnell auch eine Frage der Zeit. Zum Beispiel, wie schafft man es bei einer Großstadt wie Bogotá von A nach B zu kommen. Und tatsächlich, wenn das Angebot eine gewisse Seltenheit, Kuriosität hat oder man eine Leidenschaft dahinter verspürt, dann bewegen sich Menschen. Zurück in Berlin war uns dann klar, dass wir auch hier einen mehr oder weniger festen Ort brauchen.

PK: Warum gerade Schöneberg?

MM: Wir wohnen hier. Das war vermutlich unser erster Gedanke. Peter hat zwar in Buchhandlungen in Kreuzberg, Mitte oder Tiergarten gearbeitet. Es gibt in Schöneberg sehr schöne Buchläden mit Belletristik oder Kinderbüchern, aber eine solche Nische für Bücher mit Bezug zur Architektur, wie sie uns vorschwebte, die gab es nicht. Wir sind viel in Tiergarten und Schöneberg gelaufen, bis wir zufällig diesen schönen Laden hier gefunden haben.

PS: Dass wir hier wohnen, soll nicht automatisch zu der Assoziation führen, dass wir träge sind. Freilich, kurze Wege haben eine hohe Attraktivität, sie machen Spaß. Wenn man in einem Kiez lebt, dann kennt man bestimmte Qualitäten des Quartiers. Wir wohnten gern in Schöneberg und wir wussten, warum. Als Buchhändler arbeiten wir aber nicht nur in einem Kiez, sondern wir sind gezwungen, auch mit dem Kiez zu arbeiten. So haben wir eine weitere Dimension des Ortes für uns entdeckt, die wir früher als Bewohner gar nicht wahrgenommen haben.

PK: Wird eine Nische entdeckt oder muss man sie erfinden?

PS: Ich glaube nicht, dass man eine Nische erfinden kann. Aber ich entdecke sie gern! Es ist eine wirklich sehr interessante Frage, ab wann man eigentlich von einer Entdeckung spricht. Wenn man glaubt, etwas durch Leidenschaft entdeckt zu haben und man im Dialog mit anderen Menschen erfährt, dass sie die Entdeckung gar nicht kennen und sie durch sie begeistert oder inspiriert sind?

MM: Vielleicht kann man auch etwas abstrakter von einem Zwischenraum reden, einem Ort, an dem sich etwas so überlappt, dass etwas Neues entsteht…

PS: Ich finde es einfach spannend. Es gibt hier in Berlin aber auch in anderen Großstädten eine Schwemme von Menschen, die sich mit den Verrücktesten Ideen ein Publikum schaffen möchten. Es gibt auch Plattformen, die sich damit beschäftigen, diese Menschen vorzustellen, zu kuratieren, oder sogar zu entdecken. Das ist die Vielfalt, die uns die Städte bieten. Ich weiß nicht, ob es das richtige Wort ist, aber ich glaube schon, dass man auch von Spezialisierung sprechen kann.

MM: Wenn ich räumlich denke, dann ist für mich eine Nische ein Ort, an dem ich mich aufgehoben, geborgen, an dem ich mich wohl fühle. Ein Ort, der mich in gewissem Maße umarmt. Eine kleine Ecke, in einem Raum oder in einer Stadt. Das wird aber für jeden etwas anderes sein.

PK: Wenn ich den Weg von der Entdeckung zur Verpflichtung noch einmal aufgreife: Wie bespielt man eine Nische? Wie navigiert ihr die Menschen, wie navigiert ihr selbst durch die Bücherlabyrinthe?

PS: Wie sagt man es so schön? Man muss immer drauf achten, dass man neugierig bleibt! Die Neugierde darf nie zu kurz kommen. Ich bin immer wieder überrascht, wenn ich etwas Neues entdecke. Ich kann aber nicht im Voraus sagen, was genau für mich spannend ist. Man hat gewisse Rituale am Tag, denen man einfach stur nachgeht. Und dann taucht etwas ganz unerwartet auf…

MM: Peter sagt immer, dass das Bauchgefühl sehr wichtig ist. Und ich glaube, wenn man dem folgt und zwar konsequent, dann kann die Intuition schon eine bestimmte Form annehmen und auch richtungsweisend sein.

PK: Jede Buchhandlung hat nur einen begrenzten Raum. Man kann hier nur eine bestimmte Zahl an Entdeckungen aufbewahren. Wie geht ihr damit um? Müsst ihr immer mehr Nein sagen?

MM: Ich vermute, dass sich das mit der Zeit ändern wird. Im Moment sagen wir häufig Nein, weil wir uns vieles finanziell nicht leisten können. Ich glaube, dass wir in der Zukunft eher aus programmatischen als aus pragmatischen Gründen Nein sagen werden.

PS: Für mich gilt Qualität ist nicht Quantität. Wir haben diese Buchhandlung unter anderem deswegen aufgemacht, weil wir Mut zur Lücke haben wollten. Es gibt diverse Bücher, von denen ich weiß, dass sie jetzt auf dem Markt sind und als gute Geschäftsleute müssten wir sie auch führen, weil sie Nachfrage generieren. Wir möchten es uns aber leisten können, diese Bücher nicht einkaufen zu müssen. Es gibt ja genug Orte in Berlin, an denen man die Bücher bekommen kann. Unser Profil ist Architektur, Stadtplanung, Gesellschaft. Zu den Themen haben wir einige Bücher eingekauft, vorwiegend von Verlagen, die die Meisten vielleicht doch nicht (oder hoffentlich noch nicht) kennen. Manche dieser Verlage sitzen in Berlin, was logistisch für uns einfacher ist und auch die Kosten senkt. Wir sind sehr an einem persönlichen und inhaltlichem Austausch mit den Verlagen interessiert. Insbesondere kleinere Verlage verdienen mehr Respekt für die tolle Arbeit, die sie leisten. Wir nehmen uns auch Zeit, uns mit den Büchern, die wir führen, intensiver zu beschäftigen. Auch deswegen achten wir darauf, dass wir nicht zu viel haben. Das klingt vielleicht wie Luxus. Ich finde aber, dass diese Aufmerksamkeit heute notwendig ist. Es scheint mir heutzutage ein gangbarer Weg für eine unabhängige Buchhandlung zu sein.

PK: Könnte man vielleicht so weit gehen und von einer Sammlung sprechen?

MM: Bevor wir die Buchhandlung eröffnet haben, haben wir uns schon gefragt, was wir eigentlich sind. Vielleicht geht das Wort Kurator zu weit. Peter ist jemand, der Sachen zusammen bringen kann, die auf den ersten Blick nichts miteinander zu tun haben. Und wenn man sie dann als Ganzes betrachtet, machen sie überaus Sinn.

PS: Ich habe eine Leidenschaft für Serien. Es ist faszinierend, zu beobachten, wie Menschen anfangen ein Journal, ein Magazin zu machen und man merkt, dass es sich über Jahre hinweg weiter entwickelt. Dann kann man schon von Sammlungen sprechen. Sammeln kann unheimlich befriedigend sein. Ich könnte aber auch nicht Gartenzwerge oder Schneekugeln sammeln. Ich liebe Papier. Papier beruhigt.

PK: Ein Sammler ist ein Serientäter und so erlebe ich auch diesen Raum, durchzogen von Linien und Serien. Gibt es eine Linie, der man lieber nicht folgen sollte?

PS: Man sollte nicht der Linie der Panik folgen. Panik ist etwas ganz blödes, so reflexartig: “Hilfe, wir haben keine Kunden, lass uns den Laden schließen!” Einer solchen mentalen Linie der Panik sollten wir nicht folgen. Sie ist zwar kurz aber dadurch, dass sie alle anderen Linien ausblendet, auch ziemlich gefährlich.

MM: Wir folgen eher Loops (lacht). Loops auf einer Achterbahn.

PK: Gab es Projekte, welche euch als Buchliebhaber in der letzten Zeit wirklich beeindruckt haben?

MM: Publication Studio. Es ist eine Art Verlagslabor, ein Netzwerk von Kleinverlagen, bei dem vielmehr die Produktion von “Public” also von der Öffentlichkeit als von Büchern im Mittelpunkt steht. Die Vielfalt der Themen ist großartig.

PS: Es gibt zwei Sachen, von denen ich momentan ziemlich angetan bin. Einerseits ist es die Thematik der Zirkulation von Buchbesprechungen und andererseits (sehr verwandt) das Bedürfnis der Vermittlung zwischen verschiedenen Akteuren wie z.B. Verlage, Buchhändler, Universitäten, Büros, Museen u.a.. Bei den Buchbesprechungen ist es die neue Publikation Real Review. Sie geht u.a. der Frage nach, wie man heute Besprechungen im Erweiterten Kontext veröffentlichen kann. Dabei entstehen sehr lesenswerte Texte, die weit über die besprochenen Bücher hinausgehen und sich doch alles um Bücher dreht. Das eben angesproche Bedürfnis der Vermittlung entfaltet sich unmittelbar bei uns im Buchladen und in Zusammenarbeit mit einer Gruppe von Buchhändlern, Verlegern und Künstlern, die sich “Drucken Heften Laden” nennt und aus einer Ausstellung im nGbK in Kreuzberg hervorging und sich bis heute unabhängig weiterentwickelt. Diese Dinge mitzuorganisieren und zu unterstützen fasziniert mich.

Interview & Foto: Peter Koval

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